Colts, Rock Ya-Sin Surprisingly Have Unfinished Business
On March 16, 2022, the Indianapolis Colts traded cornerback Rock Ya-Sin in exchange for Yannick Ngakoue. The deal sent Ya-Sin to Las Vegas in exchange for a much-needed boost to their pass rush. The move was a bit of a surprise but made sense, given the lack of sacks and pressure from the team’s defensive line.
Looking back on Ya-Sin’s time with the team, his first two years were underwhelming. During his rookie season, he allowed a 68% completion percentage to opposing quarterbacks, 10.6 yards per target, and accounted for 11.6% of the team’s penalties. Additionally, Ya-Sin dealt with his fair share of injuries, leading to questionable status for multiple games and missing six during his tenure. But, towards the middle of his 2021 season, the lights started to come on for Ya-Sin, and he played his best football.
He already had a career-high five breakups through eight games played. The high completion percentage that he allowed was down to 53.6% (ending 2021 at 58.5%), below his average from the previous season. He was also pushing teammates to be better. Fellow cornerback Isaiah Rodgers recalled that during a 2021 game against the Patriots, Ya-Sin was pivotal to him making a game-saving play after being beaten in coverage moments before. Ya-Sin shoved him and yelled at him to keep his head up and live to play the next down. "It was huge…everyone back home knew that that play meant a lot to me,” Rodgers said.
Ya-Sin’s elite play was evident, and he wasn’t satisfied. After the trade that sent him to Las Vegas, Ya-Sin was candid: “Understand that, like last year in Indy, we had an opportunity to go to the playoffs [by winning one of] two games…I feel we became complacent and let our foot off the gas.”
Now, the Colts have a question: was the trade for Ngakoue worth it? Ngakoue is currently a free agent. Though he led the team with 9.5 sacks, he was below his career-high of 13. He also failed to deliver more pressure than Deforest Buckner, who led the team with 52 compared to Ngakoue’s 41.
Ultimately, the trade did not deliver the impact the Colts had hoped for.
If the Colts were to kick the tires on Ya-sin, there is a pathway. His style of play would fit in with defensive coordinator Gus Bradley’s defense. Additionally, it’s unknown if the team will keep corners Kenny Moore II and Brandon Facyson, who both had underwhelming seasons. Reuniting with Ya-Sin in free agency should be on the table.